Strategic Pitch Makes National News
for Local Restaurateur
After serving St. Louisans authentic Italian cuisine for more than 30 years, the owner of a local eatery sought to promote the opening of his new Chesterfield restaurant. He retained Casey Communications just four weeks prior to its grand opening to accomplish two primary goals – achieve widespread awareness of the grand opening date and inform of its employment opportunities.

The owner planted a seed when he made a passing reference about the extreme number of job applications he had received – more than 700 in three weeks for 150 positions.

While entrepreneurs know their business, their communications partner must be “all ears” to the news embedded in that business. With the struggling economy and unemployment rates high, Casey realized it had a pitch with gusto equal to the fine food served at the Italian eatery. Why not appeal to the jobs reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch with a “slice of life” story about the crush of job applicants? It would create a highly visible “help wanted” ad in a news story that spotlighted the high standards that the owner sought in customer-focused employees in preparing for the opening of the restaurant. Three birds with one stone.

Casey put the plan in motion, achieving a front page news story in the St. Louis Post Dispatch that was quickly picked up by other local media, including a CBS national radio news story that breathed even more life into it. The “slice of life” nature of the story sustained the momentum of awareness for more than three weeks.

Effective media relations begins with listening that understands the client’s story and the ideal context in which it will best resonate. It also takes listening to reporters and understanding current news events to create that context. When there’s alignment, it is the fullest expression of the Casey mission.

Strategic Pitch Makes National News for Local Restaurateur

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